An American Abroad in the Nordic Countries

I’m writing this blog post on our snow day, on the day we were told we didn’t have to go to school because there was a thin sheet of ice over the road that was topped with an even thinner layer of snow. I’ve missed the last two days of work thanks to this “bad weather.” While the power was out last night, my roommates and I sat in a circle and talked about our past experiences with snowy and icy weather. That was when it hit me: I’m not going to get any snow days next school year. I’m not only going to be an American abroad; I’m going to be an American from the South abroad in one of the coldest, northernmost countries in the world. I know I briefly mentioned this in my last blog post, but now that the cold, “bad” weather has really hit, I wanted to mention it again, mostly because it’s more real now than it was before.

I’m an incredibly independent person, which sometimes shocks people for whatever reason. I’m very comfortable being alone and travelling alone and, in my experience, I don’t really get homesick too often. However, I think I might be a little too independent – or perhaps I’m just stubborn. I hate asking others for help; it makes me feel a little moronic, I won’t lie. Obviously, this is something I need to overcome, and I’ve been working on doing so recently.

I’m also an extremely open and accepting person, and I always have been. I’m filled with glee whenever the opportunity to try something new arises. I want to learn as much as I possibly can while I’m abroad, and I think my openness will definitely aid in making that happen. The fact that I’m incredibly flexible will also help me learn and experience as much as I can. When I was younger, I had a hard time being okay with plans getting cancelled or my planes being delayed. However, it has happened to me so much growing up that I hardly pay attention to it anymore. I don’t mind if friends cancel the plans they had with me; I can easily find something else to do. And flights being delayed are never fun, but I’ve come to realise they’re inevitable and being mad about it won’t change a thing (I recently learned how true this is when I had an eight hour delay coming back to school from Texas this Christmas). I am the definition of a person who just goes with the flow.

However, I obviously know that I will experience some bumps in the road, not matter how well I go with the flow. The Nordic culture is very different than the culture I am accustomed to. From my research, I’ve learned that people there are much more private and reserved. Specifically, they avoid small talk, which is something I thrive on. This will take some getting used to. However, I believe that if I don’t give up and continue to put myself out there, I will be able to be comfortable in the Nordic culture.

Being from the Southern United States, I expect to encounter stigmas that people from Northern states will most likely not have to deal with. For example, when I say I’m from Texas, many of my friends that aren’t from the South automatically demand to know why I don’t have a thick Texan accent. Because I disagree with many of the preconceptions people have of the South, I want to be able to share my own experiences with the South and let everyone know it’s not all cowboys and farmland.